Marshall Crenshaw’s “Someday, Someway” was first released as a single by Robert Gordon in 1981. Crenshaw’s version was released as a single in 1982.

When I was young, “California Sun” was a hit for the Rivieras in 1964. I had no idea that the original version was by Joe Jones in 1964. The Ramones covered it in their usual brisk, loud style in 1977.

My third recent post of songs by Bobby Charles is about “See You Later, Alligator” which was made popular in 1956 by Bill Haley and His Comets. The original version was known as “Later Alligator”. It’s on the excellent (available for streaming but apparently out of print on CD) Chess New Orleans.

Bobby Charles wrote “The Jealous Kind” which is better known by other artists. I like the 1988 Etta James version.

“Keep on the Sunny Side” is best known from the 1982 Carter Family recording and the recording by the Whites used in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?

“Streets of Bakersfield” was recorded by Buck Owens in 1973. Owens joined Dwight Yoakam on his cover version in 1988. The Yoakam cover features great accordion accompaniment by Flaco Jimenez. The Yoakam cover was more successful than the original version.

This is the song’s author

Jimmie Rodgers recorded his “Standing on the Corner (Blue Yodel No. 9)” in 1930, backed by Louis Armstrong and Lil Hardin Armstrong. Johnny Cash and Armstrong performed it in 1970.

The great soul singer O. V. Wright released “A Nickel and a Nail” in 1971. If you don’t know his work, I highly recommend his music. The song has been covered by other fine artists such as Little Milton, Otis Clay and Don Bryant.

“Hotcha Cornia” was performed by Spike Jones & His City Slickers in the 1943 film Thank Your Lucky Stars. I didn’t know much about Jones other than the reference to him in “Up On Cripple Creek” by The Band but this is great. It looks improvised but must have been painstakingly choreographed. The song is a fusion of “Song of the Volga Boatmen” and “Dark Eyes”.

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